Charged particle beam microscope with minicolumn

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention is an electron microscope that includes: (a) a main vacuum chamber housing a stage therein and connected to a vacuum pump; (b) a load lock for loading a specimen into said main vacuum chamber; (c) a minicolumn non-translatably positioned inside said main chamber; and (d) a vacuum pump situated inside the main vacuum chamber and external to and connected to the minicolumn.

1. An electron microscope, comprising:
 a main vacuum chamber housing a stage therein and connected to a vacuum pump; 
 a load lock for loading a specimen into said main vacuum chamber; 
 a minicolumn non-translatably positioned inside said main chamber; and 
 a vacuum pump situated inside the main vacuum chamber and external to and connected to the minicolumn. 
 
   
   
     2. An electron microscope comprising:
 a main vacuum chamber connected to a vacuum pump and housing; 
 a turntable stage for holding a semiconductor wafer thereon; and 
 a plurality of minicolumns; 
 wherein imaging of every point on the wafer by the minicolumns is enabled by the turntable rotating the wafer. 
 
   
   
     3. The electron microscope of  claim 2 , wherein each of the minicolumns comprises a plurality of lenses, all of which are electrostatic.